Monument for people in hiding in Bergharen

During the occupation, boys and men had to report for the Arbeitseinsatz. This meant that they had to work in Germany to keep the war industry going while the German men were serving in the army at the front and in occupied territory. On 29 April 1943, it was also announced that Dutch soldiers had to report for captivity. This triggered the April-May strikes of 1943, which resulted in severe reprisals.

Rijk van Nijmegen, the area around Nijmegen, was not spared either. Jacques Luske, mayor of the village of Bergharen at the time, played an active part in the resistance and was dead set against the deportations. He helped a number of his fellow citizens go into hiding in his village, to prevent them from being deployed or taken into captivity.

During a raid in 1943, some people in hiding were rounded up. They were interrogated, and under great pressure they admitted to having been helped by the mayor when they went into hiding.

On 6 March 1944, Jacques Luske was arrested and taken to a prison in Arnhem. After being imprisoned in Kamp Amersfoort and Kamp Vught for some time, he finally ended up in Germany. He died on 27 December 1944 in Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg.